Between Crime and Solidarity: The Treatment of Refugees in Montenegro During the 1990s

Main Article Content

Jelisaveta Blagojević
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7150-0032
Aleksandar Ćuković
https://orcid.org/0009-0002-2492-4921

Abstract

This paper examines the status, treatment, and public representation of refugees in Montenegro during the 1990s, a period marked by political upheaval and humanitarian crises following the dissolution of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY). It focuses on multiple refugee waves, including those generated by the Bosnian War (1992–1995), the influx from Croatia after Operation Storm in 1995, and the displacement from Kosovo during and after the NATO bombing of 1999. Drawing on archival records, government documents, and contemporary media, the study highlights the complex and often contradictory experiences of displaced populations. Serb refugees received broad public and institutional support, facilitated by historical kinship, civic engagement, and favorable political alignment. Bosniak/Muslim refugees, while receiving solidarity and assistance, were also at times subject to deportation, police intervention, and arbitrary detention, reflecting perceived political and security concerns. Albanian refugees were generally welcomed in Albanian- and Bosniak-majority municipalities, but their stay was politically sensitive, including the killings in Kaluđerski Laz. By situating these experiences within theoretical frameworks of forced migration, the study addresses a significant gap in research on post-Yugoslav refugee reception, illustrating how small, conflict-affected states balance moral obligation, political calculation, and ethnicized social dynamics.

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How to Cite
Blagojević, J., & Ćuković, A. (2025). Between Crime and Solidarity: The Treatment of Refugees in Montenegro During the 1990s. Stanovnistvo. https://doi.org/10.59954/stnv.707
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Articles
Author Biographies

Jelisaveta Blagojević, Historical Institute of the University of Montenegro, Podgorica, Montenegro

Research associate

Aleksandar Ćuković, Historical Institute of the University of Montenegro, Podgorica, Montenegro

Aleksandar Cukovic graduated from the Faculty of Political Science at the University of Montenegro in Podgorica, specializing in political science. He completed his master's degree at the same faculty, with the thesis titled "The Role of Printed Media in Montenegro during the Disintegration of the Yugoslav Federation". He writes prose, poetry, essays, and literary criticism. He is the author of numerous scholarly papers in the fields of political science and philosophy, published in renowned journals from the region.

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